Brandywine, MD - The state of Maryland is facing a federal civil rights complaint over approval of a gas-fired power plant in Brandywine. Earthjustice said the state is required under Title VI to consider whether there would be an "unjustified and unequal" impact on the basis of race.

Neal Gormley, senior associate attorney with Earthjustice, said that law was violated.

"The Maryland agencies that decided that this plant should be built are putting a bunch of pollution sources into a community that's 75 percent black, while whiter communities get cleaner air," he said.

The power plant would be built by Mattawoman Energy, which bills it as a clean natural-gas plant that would power hundreds of thousands of homes. The complaint was filed with the offices of civil rights at the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Gormley said residents weren't adequately informed about plans to build the 990-megawatt plant.

"There are multiple power plants, all being planned to be built simultaneously in this community, for a total of five large fossil-fuel-fired power plants in the area of this one town," he added. "So people in the local community were confused, to be honest, as anyone would be, and couldn't really keep track of all these different projects."

The complaint was filed on behalf of Brandywine TB Coalition and Patuxent RiverKeeper.

Gormley said they're worried about pollution, traffic, depressed property values and health.

"Prince George's County already has unhealthy air," he added. "It violates national standards for ozone pollution, ground-level ozone, which is well understood to contribute to asthma, other respiratory problems and even premature death."

One in six black children has asthma, the highest of any racial group in the United States. The Maryland Department of Health said African-Americans in the state are nearly 2.5 times more likely to die from asthma.



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Georgia Power is reducing its reliance on coal by phasing out several coal-fired units. However, clean-energy advocates say the company should dispose of all its waste correctly and not pawn the cost of cleanup on ratepayers.

After years of pressure from concerned community members and clean-energy advocates, Georgia Power has been following a national trend by retiring some of its coal-fired power plants, the latest is Plant Wansley near Carrollton.

The welcome news for environmental groups is bittersweet since the next phase is trying to convince the company -- or force state regulators to make it -- to manage the leftover toxic waste known as coal ash, without harming the environment.

Charline Whyte, senior campaign representative for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign in Georgia, said she was glad to see the utility switch from "capping-in-place" to excavating the ash to a lined pit which prevents seepage into groundwater.

"So this shows that Georgia Power is willing and able to do the right thing and, too, do the safest options for the communities," Whyte acknowledged. "But they haven't opted to do so at many of its other coal ash ponds."

Georgia Power did not respond to a request for comment but has outlined plans to phase out most of its coal units in the next five years, claiming it no longer makes economic sense to keep the aging coal plants open.

Georgia's Public Service Commission agreed with all but one, deferring giving the company permission to shutter its Bowen Plant until at lest 2025.

The company plans to close 29 coal ash ponds with its efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to close to zero by 2050. Whyte argued the company should opt to add liners in all of its coal ash ponds.

"I would say that in Georgia, Plant Scherer pond is another example of an opportunity for the company to do the right thing from the beginning," Whyte urged. "Which is closing by removal rather than the planned closure by cap in place."

Whyte added she believes the utility should bear the responsibility and shoulder the costs of properly disposing of the waste instead of it being allowed to pass the cost on to consumers.

The Sierra Club has an interactive map on its website which lists 358 coal plants retired since 2010, or proposed to retire by 2031.

Washington state is considering a cleaner future for its buildings. The Washington State Building Code Council is holding public hearings, including one today in Yakima, on changes to the State Residential Energy Code that would move toward better energy efficiency and electric-run appliances in new residential buildings.

Eric Pravitz is director of real estate development for Homestead Community Land Trust, which is headquartered in Seattle and provides affordable homeownership for first-time buyers with low incomes. He supports the proposal to move away from natural gas in new buildings.

He said many of the folks his organization serves are people of color.

"They typically come from neighborhoods that feel the most effects from environmental pollution, the negative effects of climate change," Pravitz explained, "And so, they deserve to have a healthy home that is high performing, comfortable, low cost to operate."

Pravitz noted that houses with electric ranges and water heaters are cheaper for homeowners in the long run, as well as healthier. Opponents have argued the transition is costly in the construction phase.

The State Building Code Council holds another public hearing on its proposal on Oct. 14 in Olympia, and is also accepting public comments until that date.

Claire Richards, a nurse, is a member of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility's Climate Action Task Force. She is voicing concerns that gas stoves can have health drawbacks.

Richards listed them: "There are neurological impacts -- like fatigue and loss of concentration and judgment -- from particulate matter; asthma exacerbation, non-fatal heart attacks, like an arrhythmia, so irregular heartbeats and premature death."

Pravitz believes homes that run on electric appliances are the way to a less climate-intensive and healthier future, and said the affordable-housing sector should lead the way.

"We should use affordable housing as a model that the for-profit sector should be following, and that is building energy-efficient homes, decarbonizing, using sustainable materials," he added.

For some time, electric vehicles have been seen as the wave of the future, but developments in Detroit, Stuttgart, and Nagoya suggest tomorrow has arrived.

After a period of hesitancy, carmakers are now moving at full speed to put nonpolluting EVs in American garages, and energy companies are planning to roll out the charging infrastructure to power the new technology.

This is National Drive Electric Week, and automakers and power companies are preparing for the transformation.

Brian Wheeler, media relations manager for Consumers Energy, said things are happening quickly.

"For Consumers Energy and other energy providers, this is the time for us to prepare," Wheeler explained. "We know that if we have about 25,000 EVs that we serve today, that number should climb to about 1 million by 2030. So that really gives you a sense of that growth."

Wheeler expects it will take several years before carmakers move from gas and hybrid cars to producing only fully-electric vehicles, but power companies are working now to educate businesses and individuals on the economic and ecological benefits of EVs.

Another part of National Drive Electric Week is to address consumer concerns about owning an electric car or truck, such as driving range, battery life, and maintenance issues. Wheeler said Consumers Energy wants to make it easier and more economical for Michiganders to own an EV.

"We're really committed to providing rebates and incentives that make that EV choice more affordable," Wheeler pointed out. "And also, if we encourage people to charge at the right time, which is typically overnight, they can take advantage of the best rates, and the lowest cost."

Wheeler said while gasoline-powered cars will likely be on the roads for another decade or more, the changeover to EVs is happening faster than many people realize.

"It's really an exciting time, and we've seen so much growth already," Wheeler observed. "We've been talking a lot about electric vehicles, but we also know it's a new experience for many people. And, of course, the vast majority of drivers today have gas combustion engines. So there's a big transformation at work."